In 1969, lightning struck Apollo 12 seconds after launch; John Aaron’s “SCE to AUX” call restored telemetry and helped save the Moon missionApollo 12 astronauts encountered a significant crisis when lightning struck their rocket, not once but twice. A neglected protocol related ...
30 Aug, 2026, 03.50 PM IST
In 1969, NASA launched Bonnie the monkey for a planned 30 days in orbit; his condition deteriorated after about 8 days, and the mission was ended earlyIn 1969, a brave monkey named Bonnie embarked on a solo space voyage aboard Biosatellite III. Unfortunately, his mission was cut short due ...
29 Aug, 2026, 08.26 PM IST
America's new moon heroes: Trump honours NASA’s Artemis II crew, unveils Space Academy, eyes Mars nextThe Artemis II astronauts received the nation's highest space honor for their lunar flyby. Commander Reid Wiseman and his crew were recogni...
29 Aug, 2026, 11.57 AM IST
Apollo astronauts left mirrors on the moon decades ago; scientists are still firing lasers at them, here's whyApollo 15's lunar retroreflector continues to aid scientists with precise measurements. This device, left on the Moon in 1971, reflects las...
28 Aug, 2026, 04.09 PM IST
NASA's Apollo 12 survived two lightning strikes, then astronaut Alan Bean accidentally pointed its TV camera at the Sun, ending live broadcasts from the MoonDuring Apollo 12’s lunar mission, an incident occurred shortly after the astronauts landed on the Moon. Alan Bean unintentionally aimed the...
28 Aug, 2026, 12.38 AM IST
In 1972, Apollo 17 astronauts tore a rover fender on the Moon; they rebuilt it with four spare maps, duct tape, and clamps, and the fix lasted through 9.1 km of drivingDuring Apollo seventeen, Commander Eugene Cernan broke the rover's rear fender extension. Astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt rep...
26 Aug, 2026, 06.50 PM IST
In 1969, Neil Armstrong brought Moon rocks back to Earth. NASA fed some of the lunar dust to German cockroaches, Japanese quail, and other animalsFollowing the Apollo 11 mission, NASA embarked on some groundbreaking biological experiments involving lunar samples. They conducted tests ...
26 Aug, 2026, 05.07 PM IST
In 1965, an astronaut secretly smuggled corned-beef sandwich into space, creating a '$30 million' problem for NASAIn 1965, astronaut John Young secretly carried an unauthorized corned-beef sandwich aboard NASA’s Gemini 3 mission. The sandwich created pr...
26 Aug, 2026, 01.17 PM IST
In 1969, Apollo 11 astronauts, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, headed to the Moon without a traditional life insuranceIn 1969, Apollo 11 astronauts, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, headed to the Moon without traditional life insurance. NASA...
26 Aug, 2026, 12.47 AM IST
In 1971, Apollo 15 astronauts found a white rock later identified as part of the Moon's ancient crust; the "Genesis rock" was estimated to be around four billion years oldIn 1971, the Apollo 15 mission led astronauts to discover a remarkable lunar rock, affectionately termed the 'Genesis rock' due to its age ...
25 Aug, 2026, 04.46 PM IST
In 1970, Apollo 13 used a wristwatch to time a 14-second burn without computer guidance. 56 years later, the manual maneuver remains a textbook survival feat and a NASA legendWhen Apollo 13 Went Dark, a Mechanical Wrist watch Saved the Mission. After an explosion crippled their spacecraft, the crew powered down t...
25 Aug, 2026, 12.01 AM IST
In 1969, three NASA astronauts abroad Apollo 10 flew incredibly close to the Moon. They had a lunar module a working descent engine but weren't allowed to landDuring the Apollo 10 mission, astronauts soared just nine miles above the Moon's surface, meticulously testing lunar module systems and lan...
24 Aug, 2026, 09.46 PM IST
In 1969, she helped Apollo 11 carrying Neil Armstrong land on the moon. Indiana woman wrote the code that made it happen. She was MIT's first female programmerMargaret Hamilton, a computer scientist from Indiana, played a crucial role in NASA’s Apollo programme by leading the team that developed t...
24 Aug, 2026, 02.32 PM IST
In 1975, Soviet Union sent a cannon to space and tested it from Salyut 3 station, just six months before US and Soviet astronauts met in orbit for the Apollo-Soyuz mission during the Cold WarIn January 1975, the Soviet Union fired a 23mm cannon from its Salyut 3 military space station as a test of its orbital defence system. The...
24 Aug, 2026, 12.07 PM IST
In 1969, Apollo 12 began broadcasting from the Moon, but Alan Bean accidentally aimed its camera at the Sun and killed the live TV feedDuring the Apollo 12 mission, astronaut Alan Bean mistakenly aimed the color television camera at the sun, leading to overheating and the l...
23 Aug, 2026, 02.00 PM IST
In 1972, Apollo 17 astronaut Jack Schmitt suddenly shouted, “There is orange soil!”: It contained tiny glass beads from ancient lunar fire fountainsDuring the Apollo 17 mission, astronauts stumbled upon intriguing orange soil at Shorty Crater, revealing a treasure trove of microscopic g...
22 Aug, 2026, 06.40 PM IST
In 1972, Apollo 16 astronaut Charles Duke left a photo of his wife and two sons on the Moon with a touching message from ‘Planet Earth’ that has remained there for more than 50 yearsIn 1972, Apollo 16 astronaut Charles Duke left a framed photo of his wife and two sons on the Moon, along with a touching message identifyi...
22 Aug, 2026, 12.46 AM IST